Asia Azran

Where do you live?I was born in Moscow, Russia, and have lived in Israel since 1990.

Describe your artistic style.I work mostly with beads, using different crochet techniques.

What inspires you as a designer-artist?I am inspired by beauty, color and vibrancy to the heat of semi-precious stones, pearls and crystals, in which, as in a mirror, reflects the nature, our moods and feelings.

What materials do you most enjoy working with?Natural semi-precious stones, pearls, Czech crystals and seed beads (Czech and Japanese).

What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?The Blooming Glade

What inspired this design?The inspiration for creating this piece, one of my favorites, came when I received my most recent order from your website--peridot chips, beautiful pearls, coral and garnet. While looking at these stones I felt like creating something warm, sunny and blossoming. That's how, using a new technique I came up with, I created this ''blooming glade.''

How did it come together?The creation of all my works depends on precise calculations. Using this technique the beads should be first put on the thread in a particular order and only after that the actual jewelry can be crocheted. The process was the same in this case--everything was calculated, the beads and seed beads were put on the thread, then a small model was made to check the calculations and after that--the actual jewelry.

Share Your Background

When and how did you begin making jewelry/beading?I began working with beads in April 2008. I learned different techniques myself, online.

Who introduced you to beading?It all started when my daughter showed me a simple crocheted necklace made by someone else.

Do you have an artistic background?I would say yes, even thought my ''official'' profession is engineering and it's not related to art. I draw a little bit, love working with Fimo, and years ago used to design and sew clothes.

How did you discover Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®?I heard about this website from a friend that has been a jewelry maker for years.

What other hobbies do you have?For the last few years I have been interested and learning astrology. I am interested in the study of qualities of semi-precious gemstones. I also love making ribbon flowers (for bridal jewelry and hair accessories), but I am just a beginner in this area.

Beading Success

What role does jewelry-making play in your life?Jewelry-making is my profession now, after I opened my own business--Asia J. Design.

If you use jewelry-making as a way to bring in income, how are you selling yourself and your jewelry?This is the hardest part of the business for me. Mostly I work with jewelry stores, bridal salons and try finding new options through friends and people I know.

Do you participate in any charity fundraisers?I've never participated in such events, I didn't even hear of anything like this, at least not in my area.

Any advice for aspiring jewelry-artists?I think it's a little bit early for me to give others advice, since I'm a beginner myself. But I think the best thing to do is to learn from others how to do it when it comes to business management and find your own way when it comes to art.